Tales of the Revanchist
by NedeserThul
Summary: Darth Diabolis was not always a Sith Lord. Four thousand years ago, before he took the mantel, he was placed in carbonite by Darth Revan to be saved for a time of great need. Even before that, he and his friend were young and idealistic Jedi Knights who joined the Revanchist Crusaders.
1. Prologue

All the events of the past five years had culminated to this moment. Darth Diabolis stood on the bridge of the _Iron Fist_ and waited for his mortal enemies to drop out of hyperspace. Here, over the forest moon of Yavin IV, the Dark Lord of the Sith would either fulfill his purpose and destroy the New Jedi Order or fail and fall into history as his Master, Darth Revan, had done.

Diabolis's oldest friend and apprentice Darth Heluquin was dead, killed by Luke Skywalker. His lover Silri was dead as well at a Jedi's hand and everything he had gained by taking over the Zann Consortium or allying with Grand Admiral Thrawn was reduced to one mammoth Star Dreadnought and a few dozen Consortium warships - a meager fleet held in the contingency that the Imperial Grand Admiral's plans fell through.

As he gazed into the star-filled blackness of space, Diabolis reflected on his life. It was often said that, when you were about to die, your life flashed before your eyes. Well, the Dark Lord had no intention of dying. However, his mind was drawn back - over four thousand years back to when he was knighted in the old Jedi Order just as the Mandalorian Wars kicked off. It had been a different time then.

Back then, the Old Republic was on the wain and now, the New Republic was on the rise. The Empire of that time had been less than a shadow of a threat unless you considered their involvement by egging the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders to be so.

One similarity is that war hardened both the Old Republic and the New Republic and, as had before, the Jedi Order was returning and it was fundamentally different than the way it had been before.

Diabolis remembered the temples and towers and enclaves of the Jedi Order when the Mandalorians began their destruction of the Outer Rim and remembered when Revan, Malak and Meetra Surik had come to the facility he was at to recruit those who would defend the innocents of the galaxy. Revan had given a rousing speech and Meetra had stood beside him. She was so young, only perhaps seventeen or eighteen. She had said a few suitable words and she, even more than Revan, had convinced young Jedi to join the Revanchist. Darth Heluquin, who was then known as the Jedi Knight Xaset Tarep, had almost immediately fallen in love with her. Diabolis, known then as Talvon Esan, had not blamed him. She was beautiful and charismatic and was herself a skilled warrior and powerful Jedi.

With a smile, Diabolis closed his eyes and sank back into time, allowing himself to go back to that very first encounter with the Revanchist.

* * *

They all watched as the shuttle descended from the sky above H'Ratth. Talvon and Xaset and several other watched with interest and could sense the power of the beings on board. The ramp lowered and out stepped three individuals - Jedi all. A very tall, bald man led the way. He was handsome and burly, wearing a tight red jumpsuit and light body armor. He stood and eyed the assembled Jedi critically as the other two Jedi strode up. Another man, tall yet not as tall as the bald man, wore a mask - a Mandalorian mask at that. Lastly, with them was a young woman. She had blond hair tied in a short utilitarian tail and she was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. She considered the gathering and smiled, confident in herself and in those around her and those who saw her felt their own confidence boost.

They smiled back and Xaset said to his older friend, "Wow... who is she?"

"Mind yourself, Jedi;" chuckled Talvon.

"Greetings, my brother and sister Jedi;" said the man in a deep, resounding voice. "who will lead us to your academy's masters?"

Xaset lifted a hand eagerly. "I will. May I ask who you are, Jedi?"

"I am Revan;" said the man. "This is Alec Squinquargesimus, though Alec would be less of a mouthful. And this is Meetra Surik."

Silence fell and then a murmur went through the gathered Jedi. "That's Revan!"

"Why is he here?"

"He wants to recruit Jedi to fight the Mandalorians."

"The Masters aren't going to like this."

Revan lifted his hands. "Jedi, please; we don't have a lot of time. With every moment, the Mandalorians grow closer to victory."

Talvon and Xaset stepped forward and the former said, "We will take you to them, Jedi Revan. If I am not mistaken, they are meeting to discuss the very issue of the Mandalorians. This way please."

"Thank you. What is your name, Jedi?" asked the masked man.

"I am Talvon Esan, Jedi Knight. This is Xaset Terep."

Revan considered us from behind his mask as we walked. Finally, he said, "I sense great power and potential in you, Jedi Esan. Tell me, how do you feel about this conflict?"

"Are not the Jedi supposed to be guardians of peace and justice? What peace and justice is served by the inactivity of the High Council of Coruscant?"

Talvon sensed Revan's approval of the questions. Meetra, a girl who could be no older than seventeen or eighteen, smiled and said, "I sense that you would be a great addition to our Jedi Crusade, Talvon. Tell me, with or without the blessing of your masters, will you join the Revanchist?"

Talvon felt four sets of eyes on him and he smiled grimly. "I will. I will join your crusade, Master Revan and the Mandalorians will fall to the Republic and the Jedi."

"Well said, brother;" said Alec, slapping Talvon on the shoulder.

"How about you, young Jedi?" Meetra asked Xaset and Talvon knew immediately the answer.

"Yes;" he said eagerly, a large smile on his face. "I will join the crusade. No one is served by Jedi inactivity."

"Excellent, my friends. Be warned that I do not promise you the ease of a Jedi temple or academy nor the simple life of the odd adventure or investigation. I only promise you war, sorrow, tears, sweat and quite possibly death. Are you willing to accept that?"

"Yes;" they said together.

Meetra smiled and said, "Good; now, Master, I suggest you allow me to speak to the Masters. You and I both know that I tend to be able to convince others to see our point of view."

Revan chuckled. "Of course, Meetra. Your softer voice tends to convince others of our message."

Alec grunted. "She may have a softer voice, Revan, but you are the supreme commander of our cause. Meetra and I are simply your main officers."

"Let us wait and see what the masters have to say;" said Meetra, which made perfect sense. "I've a feeling that, whomever talks, it will basically go the same as always."

Talvon and Xaset stared at one another. They both knew that they had entered the company of beings who would one day become legends among the Jedi and the people of the Republic.


	2. Chapter 1: Revelations at Duros

As the blue tunnel of hyperspace turned into lines and then from lines to stars, the planet of Duro appeared and Talvon Esan gaped at what he saw. A fleet of Mandalorian ships were shelling the planet and the shipyards that orbited it. "Revan;" called Xaset, "they're trying to steal the raw material!"

"Launch all fighters;" said Revan calmly, "target any war droids and transports trying to haul them away. Meetra, I want you to lead the flight groups. Go."

Revan turned to Alec. "You and Xaset will each be leading assault teams. I want you to go to the planet below and disrupting any and all conscription attempts. Talvon, you will come with me. We will find whoever is leading this fleet and crush them. Commander Rhand, prepare your special forces. You'll be joining us."

A tall man with a wicked Corellian smirk nodded. "With pleasure, sir."

He bowed and hurried off the bridge. Talvon stepped in beside his commander. "Will you challenge the Mandalorian commander yourself, Master?" asked the younger Jedi.

Revan was silent before saying, "No, Talvon - you will. I will not because, in their eyes, I will show myself above them. I do not want us to slaughter all of them either. I want them to know that the Jedi are standing up to them. I want them to hear the name 'Revanchist' and be very weary."

"You want them to fear us?"

The master shook his head. "No. Fear is not what I want to cause. I simply want them to think carefully about their actions and how they formulate their campaign. Hopefully, I can influence them into making a mistake."

Talvon nodded. It sounded good but from what he heard of the Mandalorian war machine, influencing them was not likely. Even so, he followed Revan's lead. The man had not lead them wrong yet.

* * *

Meetra pulled her hair back into a tail and tied it down as she hurried to the hanger. "Attention;" came a call and all pilots snapped to attention.

Meetra jumped onto her Aurek-class starfighter and called out, "Mount up. We're targeting the transports and basilisk war droids. Blue and Green Squadrons, when their fighters show up, break off and intercept them. All Chela-class fighters, target all transports. If we need to gather the raw materials back from floating in the vacuum, we can but we need to make sure that the Mandos don't get an ounce."

With cheers, the pilots jumped in their fighters. Meetra put on her flight helmet and started up her fighter. The fighters filed out and formed up. "All flight leaders, report in;" she called.

After each squadron leaders got their reports, they reported to her. All squadrons ready. "Alright, boys and girls, let's get this done. May the force be with us and for the Republic!"

Almost immediately, the two designated squadrons broke off. The Mandalorians were ready for them and had their fighters moving to intercept. For just a moment, Meetra was tempted to turn to face them. However, Revan would rather she stuck to the main mission. Arming her torpedoes, she blazed towards a pair of transports and took aim, not with her computer, but with the force. Taking a steadying breath, she squeezed the trigger.

* * *

Talvon was piloting the shuttle himself as they headed towards the command ship. Most of the time, he had his eyes closed, flying mostly by the force. No regular pilot, not even the most talented or skilled, would be able to navigate the storm of laser fire and missiles. A solid hand landed on his shoulder. "Well done, Talvon. You have a strong connection to the force. Use it to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

"I will, as you do, Master;" said Talvon as he avoided another barrage of laser fire. When he sensed that they had entered the enemy ship, Talvon opened up with the two laser cannons the ship had, opening his eyes and scattering the warriors aboard. Revan quickly went to the ramp and opened it. "Commander Rhand;" he said, his voice all calm, "follow me."

The twenty commandos dropped out of the ship after the Jedi master and engaged the enemy. Once they were clear, Talvon set the ship down and joined the fray. "Don't go straight for the armor;" called Revan as he blasted a dozen warriors and a war droid into a set of fuel cells across the hanger, causing them to explode and incinerate them. "They are highly resistant to energy weapons."

Talvon fought with two warriors with strange scimitars that proved, several times, that Revan was correct. He blasted one back and focused on slashing at the chinks in the warrior's armor. He found one, killing the warrior before gripping the other with the force and crushed him. The Republic soldiers were using specialized disruptor weapons that managed to burn even through the armor. They were highly illegal and they could only be found on the black markets in Hutt Space or from the Exchange crime syndicate. Their problem was that the power cells only had a couple dozen shots in them and had to constantly be changed out. They were also very hard to recharge since they needed specialized charging units.

Suddenly, the blast doors opened and a collection of Mandos came out, one of them obviously in charge do to his bearing and the marks on his armor. "Talvon;" said Revan as he buried a group of warriors under several defunct war droids, "he's yours."

Turning to the Mandalorian commander, Talvon pointed his lightsaber and said, "I challenge you, Mandalorian. Fight me!"

The Mandalorian laughed and drew a large, double bladed weapon and charged. The fight around them did not stop as they charged at one another with roars rage.

* * *

Xaset was fighting his way through the Mandalorians towards a prefabricated compound of Duros prisoners. Alec was beside him, battering and forcing aside them in groups. He didn't seem to care about killing them as much as getting to the prisoners at the moment. Using the force, Xaset wrenched the barricade down and saw dozens of Duros. "If you don't want to be slave soldiers;" bellowed Alec, "stand up and fight the Mandalorians, not for them."

At first they simply stood there, looking around. Xaset turned to face the enemy, snapping one's neck with the force and quite literally crushing another in his armor. "You are quite powerful, kid;" comment Alec as he cut another down. "I'm glad you're here to help us protect the Republic."

Xaset grinned and said, "It's what all Jedi should do, not sit in their temples and meditate on the force."

"You speak as if we aren't Jedi;" chuckled Alec.

"Well, perhaps I feel as though we are true Jedi and those who are passive and unwilling to protect are just mocking us."

Alec grunted as a blaster bolt struck very close to his left eye. Suddenly, the Duros prisoners ran out and grabbed weapons, blasting and hacking away at the Mandalorians. "Yes!" roared Alec, "drive them off your world, Duros of the Republic!"

All over the battle field, the Duros prisoners were rising up and fighting back. However, to the Jedis' surprise, some of them were fighting their own people along side the Mandalorians. "What the blazes?" snarled Alec.

"It would seem that some are drawn to the war-like nature of the Mandalorians;" sighed Xaset. Alec growled and said, "Blast them, then! If they would betray their own people, then they can suffer any consequences. Let's go, Jedi!"

They rushed forward and smashed into another group of Mandalorians. One of them had a pair of lightsabers on his belt. Seeing that, Xaset scowled and charged. This warrior was tough and wielded a sword of some kind made of a metal that withstood a lightsaber. "Die, Jedi!" he snarled.

Xaset swung and slashed at him but this warrior was good with his weapon, able to keep up with the Jedi. Impatient, Xaset lifted him and slammed him into a prefabricated structure before lifting the wreckage of a basilisk war droid and slammed it onto the building. Alec chuckled as they flung themselves into another group. Some of them had jet packs - which were not made with the lightsaber resistant alloys. Alec flung his lightsaber and slashed through the several of them before calling his blade back. The jetpacks exploded and managed to take out several others. Xaset nodded, impressed. "You have to teach me that trick."

"After the battle, I'll teach you several."

* * *

Talvon slashed, hacked and thrust at his opponent but this warrior was proficient at protecting the chinks in his armor. All around them, Republic commandos and Jedi battled the Mandalorians. With a thrust of his hands, Talvon flung the commander back and away from the main fight. "Your Jedi tricks won't save you;" snarled the Mandalorian commander.

"I wouldn't worry about saving me, Mandalorian;" replied Talvon as he doubled his attack.

Something from Talvon's force attack damaged his enemy and he was slower and limping. Grinning, Talvon wove a visual web of energy around his enemies weapon until, with a neat series of ripostes and thrusts, he disarmed the Mandalorian and flung him against the wall with the force. Talvon pinned his opponent to the ground. "You are beaten, Mandalorian;" he said, just a hint of pride in his voice.

His enemy struggled but there was no way for him to break free. With a chuckle, Talvon lifted his frozen opponent and went to the comms station, swatting aside or crushing Mandalorians along the way. When he and his prisoner reached their goal, he activated the holo-comms unit and broadcast over all frequencies. "Mandalorians, stand down. Return to your ships and leave the planet. Tell Mandalor and Cassus Fett that the Revanchist stands between them and the Republic. Commander-"

Talvon yanked the commander into view. "Choose your words carefully;" hissed Talvon.

The commander was silent for a moment. "Mandalorians, return to Mandalore and tell him of the Revanchist. Tell him that the challenge he sought in the Republic has finally lifted its head."

Talvon cut the comms and said, "You probably saved many a warrior's life today."

"Please;" snapped the commander. "Only a few will go. You still have hundreds to contend with."

"That's fine. The more dead now, the fewer to threaten the Republic in the future."

"Talvon;" came a call from the corridor. Revan stood there, his weapon firmly on his belt. "Turn the holo-receivers back on and broadcast again."

Talvon obeyed and Revan nodded. "Good, now execute him."

Talvon was shocked. "Master," but he didn't want to question his superior in front of everyone.

Revan pulled his mask from his face, revealing a handsome face with dark eyes. "The only thing these warriors understand is violence, power, skill in battle and death. Grant this man a warrior's death to show, not only that we are greater warriors but that we understand them completely."

Talvon nodded and ignited his weapon. The Mandalorian commander removed his helmet. "Perhaps you do understand us, Revanchist, but you will not defeat us. Treasure this victory. It may very well be your last."

He knelt before Talvon, placing his hands on his hips and gazing into the receiver. "For Mandalore;" he said in a confident yet reverent voice.

With one sweep, the Mandalorian slumped forward, his head rolling from his shoulders with a doll thud. Revan lifted his hand and shut down the receiver. "Well done, my friend."

He strode over and placed a hand on Talvon's shoulder. "Talvon, you must understand these warriors. They are savage, yes and brutal. They have no respect for innocence or worry for collateral damage. If we do not make ourselves known, if we do not at least show that we will not stand for their brutality, they will not take us seriously. We must make them engage us. That way, more systems that cannot defend themselves will be left in peace."

"I understand, Master;" replied Talvon. Even so, he felt sick to his stomach.

"We were always told," said Revan, "that Jedi are not executioners. I think that, if the Republic is to survive, we may need to take on that roll. We must execute those who would slaughter the innocent and the peaceful. It is important that not every society face this war. Therefore, it is necessary that we embrace it. Meditate on this, my friend."

Talvon bowed and then followed his master off the ship.

* * *

Back aboard their ship, the Jedi watched as the Mandalorians, leaving many of the transports and all of the raw materials, retreated. One of the younger Jedi snorted. "And there they go. Funny, I got the idea that Mandalorians were too stupid and blood thirsty to know when they were beat."

"It's only a tactical retreat. Apparently they learned something during Exar Kun's Sith Wars. Whoever is in charge now apparently grasps strategy to some degree;" replied Revan.

Talvon was off to the side, his gaze distant. Abruptly, he turned and strode off the bridge. Revan watched him go before turning to Meetra. "Talk to him, please, Meetra. He's taking it harder than I thought."

Meetra nodded but then paused. "Isn't that a good thing, Revan?"

"Yes but at the same time, he will need to steel himself for the future. If nothing else, please comfort him."

"Of course, Master;" she said and strode off the bridge after Talvon. Xaset was frowning. "How did one so young attain the rank of Jedi Knight."

"She was only named 'Jedi Knight' under me. Apparently the Dantooine masters were hesitant to put her through the trials. So I did."

Xaset looked at him in surprise. "How did you?"

"I tested her skill against my own on Korriban, the ancestral home of the Sith. Of course, it was abandoned, the Jedi made sure of it after the Sith War. She went into a tomb for her trial of courage. I don't know what it was that she feared, but she passed, returning far stronger for it. She returned to the tombs for each of her trials and each time, she came out. That final time, we both knew that she was a Jedi Knight. I cut her padawan braid myself."

Xaset looked after her in awe. "She's..." but he didn't know quite what to say.

"She is a dear friend, a powerful ally and the rallying voice of the Revanchist. They say that this organization is centered around me but the truth is, if it weren't for her, I would not have the following that I do. Her charisma and empathy with others is astonishing and the reason that the masters on Dantooine feared her."

* * *

Talvon stood in the hanger, gazing into nothingness as he contemplated the battle. "Is this really what we're meant to be?" he asked himself.

"We are what the times need us to be, Talvon;" came a gentle, quiet voice.

Turning, Talvon saw Meetra and smiled. He had a soft spot for the young woman and felt slightly protective over her, an odd thing, since she was the general and he a Jedi officer in Revan's task force. "Have I said anything else while you were standing there? Nothing horribly embarrassing I hope."

Meetra smiled and went to stand next to him. "No, nothing else. You did well. You have steel in you that some of us will never possess. I don't know if I could have done it."

"And yet, you think it was the right thing to do?"

Meetra nodded. "Yes, I do. I am no where near as talented as Revan at reading beings and cultures but these Mandalorians;" and she shook her head. "The stories about them are filled with brutality. They only understand war, combat, violence and death."

Talvon nodded and they were quiet for a moment. Finally, Talvon asked quietly, "Shouldn't we be better than them then?"

"Oh but we are;" she said, taking his hand and gazing earnestly into his eyes. "If we ever come upon a Mandalorian world where they have civilizations set up, we won't slaughter them. In fact, we'll leave them be or even aid them if they need it."

Talvon nodded, appreciative to hear it. After a long silence, Meetra sighed, "The thing is, Revan doesn't think that there are civilian settlements or anything in Mandalorian culture. He thinks that they are all warriors or else they don't survive in society."

"That's barbaric;" hissed Talvon.

Meetra nodded. "It really is and that is why what you did is so important. It grabs their attention and lets them know that we will not stand for their barbarism. The Jedi are taking notice and they will not stand for the slaughter of the defenseless."

Talvon nodded. What was it about this girl that helped him steel his resolve and solidify his convictions? "Hey, I'm starving;" said Meetra suddenly, smiling at him. "Want to grab a bite. The food is pretty bad but it's better when you suffer with someone."

Talvon laughed. "Misery loves company."

"Exactly. So um... tell me about you and Xaset Terep. What's he... what are you guys... what was the H'Ratth Academy like?"

Talvon looked at her and found that she was blushing. Unable to help himself, he burst into laughter and said, "Wow... I guess the Revanchist is changing a lot of things in the Jedi order, isn't it?"

"I don't know what your talking about;" said Meetra defensively. "I just want to know about you and your friends."

"Okay then, let's get whatever is passing for food tonight and we'll talk where we came from. I'm quite interested about the famed Dantooine Enclave."

Meetra chuckled and said, "Really? Famed? Alright, if you insist but if you fall asleep in your feed, I will take it personal."

"Fair enough."

 **Updated 10/16/2018**


	3. Chapter 2: Altered Thinking

Revan gazed at the tactical holo-map of the embattled part of the galaxy. With a sad sigh, he ask one last time, "And there were no survives from the Lucazec System?"

Talvon shook his head. "No, Master and none of our crusaders were found either. Our best guess is that they were incinerated or vaporized in the battle. Mandalorians do hate us after all."

Revan doubted that the bodies had been destroyed. More likely they were captured or had escaped. If they were captured then the best way to organize their rescue was to finish the war. If they had escaped, they would make their way back. It was more important to continue the campaign. "That is tragic and unfortunate but we must continue this campaign. Since our victory here in the Stenos System, we have garnered more support from the Republic Senate."

Talvon nodded with a smile. They had garnered so much support that Supreme Chancellor Tol Cressa had named Revan the Supreme Commander of the Republic Military. Revan stroked the chin of his mask. "We also lost much of our carbonite and tibanna gas production from Bespin. Have General Surik and Commander Terep take three Centurions, a dozen Hammerheads and thirty Forays and push on to Elom. You will go to the Jaga's Cluster with your own fleet. I will take Alec and we will strike at Taris and liberate it. It's time we started taking back the Outer Rim."

Talvon nodded and bowed. "Of course, Master. I will transmit your orders immediately."

Revan straightened and said, "No need. Let's go to the comms cluster and I'll give the orders myself."

* * *

Meetra and Xaset were aboard Meetra's own ship and only present via holo-communications. Revan issued his orders. Meetra looked uncertain. "Forgive me, Master but the Mandalorians have quite a few strongholds in between. Why are we skipping over them?"

"Because," explained the Master, "they are lesser strongholds with little strategic importance. If we take the surrounding fortresses, I believe that the Mandalorians will retreat and if they don't, we can weed them out from places of strength. If we are going to push against the Mandalorians, we need to pick our targets carefully. They need to be both meaningful and strategic."

Meetra nodded but it was clear that she didn't agree. "If no one has anything else;" said Revan, pausing to wait and see if any of them did, "go and protect the people of the Republic."

* * *

Talvon's flagship, the _Cavalier,_ dropped out of hyperspace at the head of his fleet. The site that met their eye made them freeze.

The Mandalorian fleet was ready for them and moved to engage before they even had the chance to react. "As soon as they are in range, fire. Order the retreat. There is no possible way to defeat a fleet of that size or who were that ready for us;" ordered Talvon immediately.

He thought to himself sarcastically that this was a fine way for him to begin his solo command of a task force and engagement - with an immediate retreat.

"Sir, we can't! They're too close. If we attempt to flee, they will simply annihilate us before we can. Our only choice is to fight;" said the Republic Admiral.

Talvon growled in frustration. "Alright then, let's give them everything we've got. Batteries, fire on the small ships first and I want all shields to full front. Have all fighters launched. The Aureks will deliver full payloads against those first three dreadnoughts. All Cholas will target their command ship. Have the Forays escort them in and the Hammerheads will follow, using their main guns to pound the shields. The Centurion ships will follow up with full barrages. If we can't defeat, then we'll rip them apart."

The admiral relayed the orders before pulling Talvon aside. "Sir, we can't win this battle."

"Then what can we do?" asked Talvon as calmly as he could manage.

"We can make this defeat as costly for them as possible. Even in defeat, we need to send a message to the Mandalorians - the Republic will die fighting them to the last ship and the last man. We also need someone to escape. That way, the Mandalorians won't have a victory like they did in the Lucazec Sector where there were no survivors to report."

Talvon nodded. "You are correct. Send someone who can make it through the conflict intact."

"Only a Jedi could, sir."

Talvon nodded. "Alright, then send Cuo'guar."

"No;" said the Bothan Jedi in question.

Talvon turned to him, shocked. "Excuse me?"

"With all due respect sir, the Revanchist and the Republic cannot afford to lose you. The Master knows this."

Talvon shook his head firmly. "I will not be leaving this ship. Who of us is the best pilots?"

"You are;" said the other. "You are the best pilot, the best trained and you have the ear of the Master."

Suddenly, the ship shook and they all turned to the viewport. Suddenly, Talvon felt himself freeze. All control left him and the Bothan Jedi said, "I'm sorry, General Esan but you are leaving this ship. Get me a T3 droid and program it to return to the main fleet in a shuttle. I want three Jedi to escort him past the battle's perimeter. I will assume command of this battle with the Admiral when you're gone."

Talvon wanted to scream but he couldn't even do that as he was literally carried to a shuttle where he was strapped in. The reprogrammed T3 droid plugged into the main computer and ran the ship through preflight.

* * *

In the mean time, the battle was going as well as had been expected. For every ship of the Republic that was destroyed, at least one of the Mandalorians were eliminated as well. Basilisk war droids were literally ripping ships apart, tearing into the outer hauls of ships and burrowing in and killing anything and everything they found, their Mandalorian riders roaring battle cries in their rough tongue.

One by one, the Republic ships blew until the _Cavalier_ was the only remaining ship. It was surrounded and its guns blasted pointlessly at the Mandalorian ships. In the end, Mandalorian's boarded the ship and attacked the crews. It was one hell of a fight. Every member of the crew fought back with blasters, vibro weapons and whatever they could get their hands on. Most Jedi died with a pile of armored bodies up to their waists but the inevitable could not be prevented. It ended with the Admiral and the Bothan Jedi Knight surrounded, back to back and ready to die when onto the bridge came the caped and yellow armored Field Marshal Cassus Fett himself. "Do you surrendered?"

"Go directly to hell;" snapped the Admiral.

Cassus Fett chuckled. "I do admire your courage, Admiral. It doesn't really matter in truth. We have no need for prisoners. Execute them."

The Jedi repelled all of the Mandalorians and charged Fett, using a telekinetic blast to clear his way. Fett pulled a mandalorian war sword and met him blow for blow. "You are not the first Jedi I've faced in combat. In fact, you aren't even the best."

It was a short, brutal fight. Before the Jedi even had the chance to gather a force attack, Cassus overwhelmed him and cut him down. The Admiral stood there, facing the Mandalorian Field Marshal levelly. "That was bold but disappointing;" said Fett.

The Admiral gave a cold smile. "Six dreadnoughts, eighteen Jehavey'ir assault ships, three Kyramud battleships and literally hundreds of basilisks and various fighters were lost in this battle, not to mention almost a dozen of those Kal-type warships; this victory cost the Mandalorians more than the Republic, even if you consider the lost Jedi."

"Perhaps you're right;" said Fett apathetically and he coolly shot the Admiral in the chest. "Set this ship to blow and make the fleet ready. We will retreat from here."

* * *

Revan looked down at Talvon, who was still on the hover-gurney in a stasis. Waving his hand, Revan woke him and asked quietly, "What happened, General Esan?"

Tarvon looked down, shamefaced and angry. "There was a mutiny. Cuo'guar and the Admiral put me in this stasis and had the T3 unit fly me back. I'm not sure exactly what happened. All I can say is that we knew from the start that the battle was going to be lost. I ordered a retreat but there was no time to turn the entire fleet about. I think that the Mandalorians anticipated our move. The rest of the fleet stayed to make a good fight of it but they sent me back."

Revan nodded. "Cassus Fett was there;" said Revan plainly.

Talvon flinched. "Did you know this would happen, Master?"

"No. I did not expect him to be so prepared. In fact, judging by the Mandalorian movements, I assumed that the fleet would be at its smallest. My timing may have been off. Meetra also didn't succeed. Apparently Mandalore himself was at Elom, expecting me to lead the fight personally. I was hoping that they would be at Taris but it would seem they didn't think is as important as I did. They are withdrawing deeper into the Outer Rim. I did not foresee that. None of their tactics suggested such a drastic retreat."

Talvon stood slowly to his feet, still shocked at the revelation. "How did this happen, Master?"

With a tired and depressed sigh, Revan removed his mask. "I am not infallible. I have been trying to guess our enemy's moves judging by his passed tactics. Before Duros, Mandalore was burning his way through the Outer Rim, even shelling some planets with nuclear tipped weapons, not even bothering to properly conquer them. Then began his push through to the Core. That is when we stepped in and his tactics started to change. Rather than fight to the last man, as the Mandalorians often did during the Great Sith War, they made tactical retreats, chose preferential targets by resources or the best possibility of conscripting new warriors. Now, after crushing two fleets and losing Taris, they are retreating back into the Outer Rim and preparing for the next stage in this galactic dejarik game."

"But - but what changed?"

Revan sat on the gurney, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his gloved fingers steepled. "We started our crusade. At first, Mandalore thought we would be a worthy but still ultimately ineffective challenge. When we started to be victorious, he had to change his tactics and his strategy. He nuked Serroco to test our resolve and then adjusted accordingly. Every battle has changed how he views us and, therefore, changes how we must consider them."

Talvon nodded. This war was a constantly changing thing. Sighing, he sat down beside his master. "I thought that this war would be more certain. It seems like such a simple thing in ancient texts."

Revan chuckled. "Yes it does. But hind sight is perfect, Talvon."

For some time, they sat in silence before Revan said, "Alec and I are taking a trip to Dantooine to drop off several force sensitive children we have found."

Talvon's eyes widened. "Why don't we train them?"

"A war zone is not the place for training Jedi initiates, especially not this war zone. No, we will bring them to Dantooine. I think that it would be good to wander the hills for an afternoon anyway. Perhaps it will bring me some inspiration or enlightenment."

Talvon nodded silently. "What shall we do in the mean time."

"You will continue teaching and instructing our young Jedi. You are a remarkable teacher, Talvon. Even Meetra gushes about what she has learned from you and Alec has a grudging respect as well."

Talvon felt warmth bloom within him. "I will do so then, Master. Who will command the fleet while you are gone."

"You will with Meetra. Trust your young friend Xaset as well. He has a solid head on his shoulders and a good connection to force. There are two other Jedi Knights you can count on as well - Cariaga Sin and Nisotsa are their names;"

Talvon nodded solemnly. "I will do as you say, Master."

Revan stood and said, "We will be back in a few days. Take care of them, Talvon."

Tavlon bowed as his master replaced his mask and departed.

* * *

Xaset headed to rear-most battery of the _Juggernaut_ , Revan's Centurion Class Cruiser flagship. In one of the firing chambers, he knew that he would find her. Meetra sat there, gazing out the viewport expressionlessly. Xaset smiled sadly and sat down next to her. This was one of her favorite places to sit and think. No one ever came here except during a battle, immediately before to prep the cannons or immediately after to clean and check them. They sat there for quite some time before she said anything. "I blew it;" she finally murmured.

Xaset looked at her. "What?"

"I blew it. Revan is never going to trust me with another mission again."

She always seemed so strong. Yet right now, she seemed perilously close to tears. It was moments like this the Xaset remembered that she was only seventeen years old and only a Jedi Knight according to the Revanchist. The masters at Dantooine never confirmed her. Quietly, Xaset slipped an arm around her shoulders. "I highly doubt that. Did you hear about Talvon?"

"No;" she said guardedly.

Xaset felt terrible, using his close friend's misery to cheer her up but it was a point that needed to be made. "He lost his whole fleet. Would have died with it if it weren't for some freak mutiny by the admiral and one of the Jedi Knights under his command. All that to say," he continued, hesitating and choosing his words carefully, "I think that the Master is still learning about the enemy. I think that he assumed that either Mandalore or Cassus would be at Taris and he bet on Mandalore, which is why he went himself to Taris. It was a stronghold under the Mandalorians and a vast recruitment arena. The other areas were hyperspace access points. Instead, it would seem that the Mandalorians used this opportunity to crush two sizable fleets before retreating further into the Outer Rim."

The young woman nodded. After a pause, she said, "That doesn't make me feel better."

Xaset groaned and said, "I know and honestly, it shouldn't but at the same time, I think that you haven't shaken Revan's faith in you. That's all."

After another long pause, he nudged her shoulder playfully, "Hey, they're serving dinner in the mess hall. Come on. I'm not going to let my favorite general starve because she is feeling melancholy."

"Not hungry;" she murmured.

Xaset sighed and said, "So it comes to this. Alright then."

He stood and picked her up with ease, throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her forward. Meetra was laughing and swatting at his back. "Hey;" she yelled, "put me down. Do you hear me? That's an order!"

"Can't hear you, Ma'am;" said Xaset with a grin. "Your stomach is growling too loud."

"Fine! Fine!" she laughed. "I'll come and eat."

Xaset put her down and Meetra swatted him again. "Oh you heard that just fine;" she laughed.

Xaset shrugged. "Must have been between grumbles."

As if to prove his point, a very loud rumble came from her stomach and they both burst into laughter as they headed towards the mess, side by side.

As they walked, Xaset said almost shyly, "Oh and by the way, happy birthday, Meetra."

Meetra gasped, "How did you know I was turning eighteen today?"

Xaset blushed and shrugged. "I might have asked the Master about you a time or two. I wanted to know about the woman whom I'm serving under."

Meetra smiled. "Thank you."

Suddenly, he pulled a tiny package from his pocket. "I picked this up on Duro during the battle. I fell out of a crushed Mandalorian Basilisk war droid. Apparently they use strange crystals to power one or another of the weapons systems. I found this one and..." he shrugged uncomfortably.

Meetra unwrapped the object and looked at the tiny blue crystal. It was just the right size for a lightsaber. "Now I can build a new one."

Xaset looked at her and was about to ask why she needed to when she hugged him tightly. His entire body went warm as hers pressed against his. Quietly, she whispered, "Thank you so much, Xaset. It's the best gift I could be given."

"No-" he gulped and tried again, his voice hoarse. "No problem. Glad I found it."

She let him go and pocketed the crystal. They kept towards the mess. When they were just outside, Xaset's mind reactivated and he asked, "So why do you need a new lightsaber?"

Meetra blushed again. "Mine was left aboard our flagship. Remember that explosion on the bridge? Apparently my lightsaber hook broke. I didn't find it before we had to evacuate the cruiser."

Xaset nodded. "I see."

"Alec gave me a lecture on my lightsaber being my life and all that stuff;" she murmured quietly.

Xaset growled. "Look, I know he's Revan's best friend and right hand and all that shavit but he needs to get off his high ronto. Someone needs to take him down a peg."

To his surprise, Meetra laughed. "He's right though. Our lightsabers are our lives. By strict Jedi code, they are the only things that we are allowed to own - truly own. Everything else belongs to the order."

"Yeah;" muttered Xaset, "well the Jedi believe a lot of things that are unrealistic and stupid."

Meetra looked at him guardedly. "You speak as if you aren't one."

"I am;" replied Xaset. " _We_ are. I just think that the Jedi Order has grown so lethargic that it no longer has the will to be the guardians of peace and justice they seem to think they are. Only us few are anymore."

Meetra didn't respond for awhile. Finally, she said, "I think that perhaps the Order needs both to keep it balanced. Sometimes I wonder about Revan's decisions even as I think they are necessary to win."

Xaset looked down at her, mildly surprised. After a moment, he shrugged and chuckled. "Yeah, you're probably right. It takes all types to make a Jedi Order."

Meetra chuckled. "Yeah it does. Just look at that fishy guy over there."

Xaset burst into laughter as they headed to the food line.

 **Updated 10/16/2018**


	4. Chapter 3: Onderon and Dxun

It wasn't a few days before Master Revan and Alec returned. It was a few weeks and, when they finally did come back, something had changed about them. Alec began going by Malak and they were both more serious. When it came to engaging the enemy, they became ruthless and even merciless and the Mandaloriens were pushed deeper and deeper into the Outer Rim.

The battle of Onderon and Dxun was vicious. A massive Mandalorian fleet and a massive Republic fleet were blazing at one another and on both the planet of Onderon and it's nearest moon of Dxun, the fighting was nasty. Meetra Surik, who had grown from the young woman who wasn't completely sure of herself to a confident general with absolute faith in Revan's command. There were rumors that she was the Revanchist's secret lover but when questioned about it, she just shrugged, not bothering to confirm or deny. Talvon and Xaset both knew that it wasn't true but none of them cared one way or the other.

Talvon watched from his Centurion-class cruiser and directed the fleet's assault. One of the Republic Fleet's advantageous was that the Mandalorians were trying to defend both the planet and the moon. Drop ships escorted by fighter streaked through the blockades and landed on both Dxun and Onderon. Meetra and Xaset were sent to Dxun and Revan and Malak themselves went to Onderon themselves. Talvon and the Jedi Knights Nisotsa and Cariaga Cin, promoted by Revan just as Meetra had been, were assisting in the assault, the former leading the starfighters and the latter watching the tactical map. "General Esan, our starboard flank is pushing forward but our port is being held at bay."

"Redouble the attack on the starboard flank. Make sure that our ion cannons target the basilisks specifically. Those droids are more susceptible to them. As far as the port flank, have them hold and stay where they are. I want the ships under General Kae to push through the gap and pulverize their fleet from the inside."

Whoever was leading the Mandalorian fleet, it wasn't Cassus Fett, the Marshal of the Mandalorian forces, or Mandalore himself. Whoever this was, he was not as tactically skilled.

* * *

Xaset and Meetra were hacking their way through the forests. The Mandalorians were bad enough but the monsters just made things that much more complicated. Bomas and Cannoks and Malraas and so on. Their soldiers were dying in droves and the support ships of war droids were being blasted out of the sky. The female officer was on the very edge of panic. "General, how are we supposed to carry on without support?"

"We don't have a choice;" said Meetra grimly, her blue lightsaber in her hand. "Press on and beware of traps and mines. Those blasted Mandos will do whatever they can to slow us down. If we come across any downed transports, we'll salvage the droids as we can. The fortress is only two kilometers ahead."

Xaset sent bolts a force lightning, something that he had learned from Talvon only the week before, into a group of curious cannoks. "We'll follow you, General. What are your orders?"

"Gather the troops and get ready. When we start pushing, we are't stopping until we take that fortress."

Only sixty percent of the troops were combat capable and they only had four transports worth of war droids. Meetra looked at them all and used the force to amplify her voice. "Our enemy is there;" she said, pointing with her lightsaber. "If we can crush them there, the war will be close to over and we can return to our families and our homes. Forward, heroes of the Republic and remember that the future of free civilization is at stake."

Xaset could feel the effect of her words and her charismatic aura. He ran up as she turned to lead the charge.

They fought through ambushes and skirmishes for the entire two kilometers and when their forces reached the fortress, Meetra and Talvon used the force to wrench the durasteel gates open. Laser fire poured from the ramparts and cut down the Republic troops but many of them still barged through the gates, only to find the fortress mostly abandoned, filled only by auto turrets and Mandalorian battle droids. "Tech Sergeant Bao-Durr, Xaset and I will cover you. Locate the command center and we'll get you there to shut down the droids and the turrets;" commanded Meetra.

A large, muscular Zabrak pointed towards the main building. "That way, General Surik."

Xaset and Meetra deflected blaster bolts and redirected rockets towards emplacements manned by droids. Inside the command center, Bao-Durr used an Ion blaster to take out the guarding droids. "I don't get it, General;" said the Technical specialist. "This place should be crawling with Mandos, not a few dozen droids and auto turrets. Wait..." and he ran to a console and began to tap on it while sticking several slicer spikes into the slots. "Alright, the droids and turrets should be done."

Meetra nodded, closing her lightsaber down. "What can you get in the way of battle plans from the consoles?"

"Only an order from Mandalore to leave a skeleton crew and a small army of droids as a token defense. It seems like they're retreating again, General."

Meetra looked both relieved and upset. "Have teams of engineers come down with reinforcements. I want to make sure that there are none of them and nothing left by them left to cause trouble for the people of Onderon. Speaking of which, get comms up and get a status report of the rest of the battle."

She went to the window and looked out over the fortress and the forest beyond. Republic soldiers and war droids were dragging the wounded in to be taken care of and dropships were already landing with reinforcements. Even so, the loss of life had been terrible.

* * *

Talvon had been relieved to hear that Xaset and Meetra were not only alive but had been victorious on Dxun. The battle on Onderon was still going on viciously. Suddenly, the Mandalorian ships over Dxun began to jump to lightspeed. "Stop any of those ships that you can;" snarled Talvon. "The more we destroy today, the fewer we have to go through again."

A few of the enemy capital ships were crippled and destroyed but many more escaped. Talvon sighed in frustration. "Make contact with the Master and tell him that Dxun is taken and half the enemy ships are gone or destroyed and ask if he needs any assistance."

The comms officer complied as the Republic ships focused their assault the the remaining Mandalorian ships.

"Sir," called the comms officer. "The Supreme Commander wishes to speak to you."

Talvon hurried over, "Master, this is General Esan."

"You have done well. After a thorough sweep of the moon, have General Surik recall all of her forces. We will gather and devise a strategy. I want this war to end."

"I couldn't agree more, Master;" replied Talvon.

The comms were cut and Talvon turned to watch the battle finish. The other Mandalorian ships began to flee when they found an opening and the battle was quickly over.

Aboard the _Juggernaut_ , Revan and his generals gathered. "We need to end this war. I know the place. Tech Sergeant Bao-Durr, show us the schematics."

Bao-Durr slipped a data spike into the holo projector and a large piece of machinery. "This is a mass-shadow generator;" explained the brilliant technician. "If deployed across a planet properly, it will increase the gravitational pull of the planet so that any ships within a certain distance would be pulled into the planet itself. So it's important to choose an uninhabitable planet. If we don't, it will most likely be rendered uninhabitable. Do you have a planet in mind, Master?"

Revan nodded. "I do have one in mind. I want every ship under our command to rendezvous at these coordinates. Bao-Dur, how long will it take to construct and install this weapon?"

"If I have the help and we build them into the planet itself, it should only take a month or so."

Revan nodded. "In the mean time, we must gather our forces. This war will end soon. Four years of hard conflict, plus many more considering the eight years of raids, will end at Malachor V."

* * *

Xaset was sitting in the lounge, sipping on caf when Meetra came over to him. "Come with me please, Commander;" she said calmly.

For just a moment, Xaset thought that he was in trouble. "Of course, General; whatever you need."

He followed her to their favorite spot and was completely surprised when she yanked him into a passionate kiss. At first, he was tense but then, all the pent up emotions and passions fell over him and he returned the kiss. After several long moments, when they took a second to breathe, he came back to his senses. "Meetra, we can't do this."

"Why not?" she asked, her eyes blazing with passion.

"Meetra, we are still Jedi and a Jedi can't give into our- our-" but Meetra wasn't playing fair. Her Jedi cloak fluttered to the ground, followed by her outer tabbard and then her tunic, leaving her in a sleeveless undershirt and trousers.

Xaset gulped and tried again as she went for her boots but it wasn't going very well. Suddenly, she grabbed him again and kissed him, pinning him against the bulkhead and shoving his outer robe off, using the force to unbuckle his weapons belt.

She let him go to push his tabbard and tunic off. "Kriff it-" he ground out and kiss her, laying her on the pile of clothes.

* * *

Talvon was pleased as his ship jumped to lightspeed. Looking around, he flagged down the Nisotsa. "Have you seen Xaset anywhere?"

"No, sir;" replied Nisotsa. "I thought I heard that he was in the mess drinking caf when General Surik came and got him."

Talvon chuckled. "Thank you, Nisotsa."

He knew just where they were. They had a secret spot in the aft turbo laser batteries where they slipped off to when one or both of them were depressed by he war. He traveled quickly there until he got to the door to the battery. When it slid open, he was greeted by a most unexpected sight. "Talvon!" two voices gasped and a robe flapped over two bare bodies. Talvon stared, mouth opened for several long seconds. Finally, he cleared his throat. "Does the Master know?"

They both looked at each other before looking back to Talvon and shaking their heads. "I see. Take care, Jedi. We are close to the end and we can't afford to make fatal mistakes this close to victory."

He turned to leave and Xaset called, "Talvon?"

The older Jedi considered. "This is important, Xaset. I don't know if I can keep this from the Master. I need to meditate on it."

* * *

As the days went by, Revan summoned Talvon to his ship. "Are your ships and men ready for the final battle, Talvon?" asked Revan.

"Yes, Master;" replied Talvon, trying to keep his anxiety at ease. It didn't work though and Revan turned to him.

"Something is bothering you, Talvon. I can sense you trying to hide it. If it is something that will effect this campaign, it would be best that you told me."

Talvon sighed and slumped into a chair. "General Surik and Xaset are having an affair, Master."

There was a long silence and then, to Talvon's surprise, Revan chuckled. "Is that all that's bothering you, Talvon?"

Talvon looked into the masked face. Revan chuckled again and pulled his mask off. "I have known that those two have been attracted to each other for some time. Xaset has been since we stepped off the ship on H'Ratth and Meetra has come to rely on him and trust him."

"But Master;" said Talvon, "we are Jedi, aren't we?"

Revan looked very serious again. "We are but we have changed. Why not change the ridiculous policy on attachment as well? Nomi Sunrider and Vima Sunrider and many of the best Jedi in history were either married or the results of marriage. Imagine if Xaset and Meetra had a child? How skilled and powerful would that young Jedi be when he grew to be of age?"

It was an interesting theory and Talvon had to admit that the idea was attractive. He himself had gotten quite close to Arren Kae, a woman who had been exiled after it was found that she had already had an affair with some politician. Revan burst into laughter again and said, "I didn't just call you over to discuss the idea of who we should be dating, General Esan. I called you over because I need to be able to trust you when the battle comes. Meetra and you will be given the leadership of the fleet. We will be sending troops and Jedi to the planet below to build a base."

Talvon frowned. "Master, what will happen to them when the generator is activated?"

Revan looked very sad. "They will most likely die. It will be a necessary sacrifice, I'm afraid, Talvon. I need you to be able to give the order if Meetra can't. Sometimes I wonder if she has the steel to make such a decision. If she can't, you will have to. Can I count on you, Jedi?"

After just a moment of hesitation, Talvon nodded. "Yes, Master."

"Good. Thank you, my friend. It has bothered me for some time whether any of my followers can give such a command. I admit that it is terrible but necessary."

Talvon nodded resolutely. "I agree, Master. Sacrifices are important if the Republic is to survive."

"I'm glad that we agree on this. You have been a loyal and faithful follower and I will remember that."

Talvon bowed but then, a question occurred to him. "Master, what is going to happen after the war is over?"

Revan looked distant. "I'm not sure. I have not looked that far ahead. I think-" and he stopped for just a moment, "I think that there is another threat out there. The Mandalorians didn't make the decision to conquer so suddenly themselves, especially after such a massive defeat during the Great Sith War."

Talvon nodded slowly. "Then, when this war is over, we will find who is behind their offensive, Master, and we will eliminate that threat as we did this one."

 **Updated 10/16/2018**


	5. Chapter 4: The Battle of Malachor V

Talvon stood on the bridge of the _Commandant_ , his new personal command ship. Next to him stood Meetra, who was in charge of the entire operation. Their fleet was massive and the planet of Malachor V was dark and storm covered below them. Throughout the planet, the emitters for the mass shadow generator had been placed. Now, all they had to do was wait for the Mandalorians to take the bait and engage them. "What do you think about this, Talvon?" asked Meetra, startling him out of his revelries.

He turned to her curiously. "About what, Meetra?"

"About this - sacrificing good men and women using a terrible weapon, all in the name of an easy victory."

Talvon looked at her with a frown. "Easy victory? Meetra, this kind of sacrifice is anything but easy. We are doing what we must to save future lives and, possibly, prepare for the future."

"Prepare for the future?" asked Meetra, her voice suddenly guarded. "What do you mean by that?"

Talvon was silent before he turned to her and said gravely, "Until this battle is over, until Revan brings it up himself, please don't ask me that, Meetra. We need to focus on the task at hand and I said something that I should have kept quiet."

The younger woman studied him quietly before looking away and saying, "As you will. I still don't know how I feel about this."

With a kind smile, Tavon placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. "Meetra, I know this is hard. I know that this is a terrible situation. But if you cannot give this order when the time comes, we will go on to lose five, ten or even a hundred times as many soldiers that we would otherwise and who knows how many more innocent and peaceful worlds would be ravaged by the Mandalorian war machine. Keep that in mind. Only you can give this final order. When the time comes, it will be completely up to you."

Meetra met his eyes and gave a firm nod. With another kind smile, Talvon gave her shoulder a squeeze before straightening. "The enemy will be here soon. Are you ready, General Surik?"

Meetra pulled an elastic band from her wrist and put her hair in a tail before saying, "Send out a final check of all ships, General Esan and once they are clear, sound the call to battle stations and send all pilots to their fighters."

Glad to see her confidence restored, Talvon replied resolutely, "As you command, General;" and he hurried to follow her orders.

The checks were finished and the last pilot got to their fighter mere minutes before a massive Mandalorian fleet dropped out of hyperspace. It was huge and made to split the difference between the Republic ground forces and the Republic fleet - just as Revan knew that they would. Immediately, all fighters launched and so did a single shuttle. The shuttle was missed by everyone as the Master aboard deflected the interest of every fighter pilot. Basilisk war droids, not taking the unarmed shuttle into consideration, ignored it as well. Whenever Revan sensed that a gunner, pilot or sensor officer detected the shuttle, he invaded the mind and forced it to find something else of interest.

From the bridge, Meetra watched as the tiny shuttle landed on the Mandalorian flagship. Turning, she hustled over to the comms station and keyed over to the stripped down Hammer-head cruiser. Bao-Dur had turned it into the mass shadow generator's control ship. It was surrounded by ships and well protected. "Tech sergeant;" said Meetra, "alert me immediately at the best opportunity to activate the mass shadow weapon."

"Of course, General. It should only be another ten minutes unless the Mandos try something;" replied the burly Zabrak soldier with a salute. He looked paler than he had before. Perhaps the seriousness of the situation was weighing on him as much as it was her.

Talvon watched as the general of the Republic's forces at the moment nodded in satisfaction. "Good work, Bao-Dur; the battle will be over and so will the war, thanks in no small part to your genius."

Talvon smiled. That was Meetra's MO. She would always encourage others, make them aware of how important their parts of the plan were. It was a huge part of her charisma and it was quite possibly the main reason that so many followed Revan and also probably a great reason why the Jedi Council had not directly opposed Revan, electing instead to allow him to do as he felt was right while publicly condemning him.

Turning back to the enemy fleet, Talvon watched grimly. Clouds of enemy fighters and basilisk war droids were attempting to swarm the ships but the Republic's fighters were making sure that it didn't go all their way. According to Bao-Dur, all Mando ships but the furthest from the planet would be in range of the mass shadow generator. Mandalore's flagship was out of range. Unfortunately, there were a number of Republic ships within the range of the weapon.

Talvon watched and it became clear that the Mandalorians were in the battle for blood and victory and they were fighting with a ferocity that the Republic hadn't seen from them in decades - not since the Great Sith War against Exar Kun. It quickly became clear that the Republic needed to act and act quickly. Mandalorians were landing and attacking their forces below.

Meetra stood monitoring the situation, waiting on the orders from her Master. Suddenly, she whipped around, fear in her eyes. "Talvon, where is Xaset?"

Talvon hurried to the comms. "Commander Terep, what is your location?"

It was almost a minute before he replied, "I skirting just above the atmosphere."

"Bring your squadron about and come to the following coordinates;" ordered Talvon, feeling a twinge of guilt. Why did he have a right to save his friend when so any others would die?

Shoving that dark thought aside, he waited for Xaset's confirmation. When the comms unit went off again, it wasn't Xaset. It was Revan. "Prime the mass shadow weapon, General Surik;" he commanded as he slashed aside an unseen enemy with his lightsaber. "When I give the word, activate it."

"Of course, Master;" answered Meetra calmly. As soon as he signed out, she ran to the comms and keyed it, "Commander, this is General Surik, what's your status?"

"I'm being pursued by a group of basilisk war droids and they seem determined to keep me low along the planet. I'm trying to shake them but they aren't making it easy."

"Xaset, you need to hurry and get out of the planet's gravity well!" ordered Meetra anxiously.

Wisely, Xaset didn't question why. He simply replied, "Alright, I'm heading up."

They couldn't identify his fighter among the hundreds that were swarming around. The communication was interrupted as Revan commed in. "The time has come, General. Activate the weapon and end this battle. I have just made it to the bridge of the flagship. I want Mandalore to watch his fleet die and I want to see him do it."

"It will be done, Master;" said Meetra, her voice trembling.

Taking it to mean that she was nervous, Revan said, "I know that this is hard, Meetra but the ends will justify our actions. Millions if not billions will be saved."

"Of course, Master. I will contact Bao-Dur immediately. May the force be with you, Master."

Revan nodded. "May the force be with us all;" and he signed off.

Immediately, they changed frequencies again. "Xaset?"

"I'll be clear in seconds;" he said, "almost..."

Their hearts beat loudly as Meetra used a second terminal to comm over to Bao-Dur. The burly Zabrak stood at attention. "The weapon is primed and ready, General."

"Hold for just a few more moments, Bao-Dur;" said Meetra.

Suddenly, outside the viewport, something was happening. The Mandalorian ships were attempting to get out of the planets gravitational pull. Everything seemed to slow. Seconds stretched to hours. Finally, Xaset said, "I'm clear of the gravity well."

Meetra sighed with relief and said, "Fire, Bao-Dur."

The Zabrak saluted, tapped on a command console and said, "Firing now, General;"

With the final pull of a lever, they all turned to face the viewport.

The scene that greeted them went from chaotic and anxious to horrifying. Hundreds of ships suddenly jolted and began to sink towards a planet whose atmosphere was suddenly visibly turbulent. Cruisers, dreadnoughts, corvettes, frigates, fighters and gunships suddenly were yanked downward. It was bad enough to witness. But then, the Jedi felt it. They felt the deaths of billions as the impact from the orbiting ships smashing into the planet's surface caused the crust to fracture. The entire planet died and every single Jedi felt it. But no one felt it as strongly as Meetra Surik.

The Jedi general collapsed, screaming in pain as she felt every soldier and every Jedi and every Mandalorian die aboard the ships or on the planet below. Her empathy with living, sentient beings caused her to feel it much, much more strongly than other Jedi. When it became too much, she forcefully shut it out - shut all of it out! She shut out the screams, the suffering, the very force itself, she shut out. Even so, the effort was too much and she passed into absolute unconsciousness.

Talvon, though he didn't feel it as strongly as Meetra had, still felt the death of the world. It was as if millions of living things were screaming in his ears. The pain was excruciating and it wasn't short. When the screaming and dying finally subsided, a full half hour had passed. Immediately, he got to the comms. "All ships and wing commanders report in. NOW!"

One by one, every ship in the fleet that had survived and every fighter commander reported. Those who were Jedi sounded slurred or sobbed as they did. Xaset sounded emotionless as if he was in shock. Ninety percent of the Mandalorian fleet had been yanked into the planet below and at least forty percent of the Republic fleet went with it. Talvon's stomach lurched and he was forced to hurry to a waste receptacle before spewing the contents of his stomach into it. "Water;" he croaked.

One of the other Jedi ran up with a canteen and gave it to him. First, Talvon rinsed his mouth our before taking several mouthfuls. The water itself was nearly enough to make him wretch again but he composed himself and went back to the comms unit. "Master Revan, this is General Talvon Esan - General Surik is incapacitated. What are your orders?"

It was some time before the strained voice of the master replied, "Stand down. This conflict will be over in moments."

Talvon nodded and turned to see a pair of corpsmen lifting his young friend onto a hover stretcher. "Monitor the general carefully;" said Talvon gravely before turning back to the comms officer. "Recall all fighters. As soon as Commander Terep lands, send him to the medbay. I will meet him there. Unless it is an emergency or new orders from the Master, do not disturb me."

* * *

Talvon had fallen asleep beside Meetra before Xaset arrived. The younger Jedi Knight was holding her hand when Talvon woke. "How are you, Xaset?"

"I'm... I'm not sure, Talvon. What we did, as necessary as it was, it was terrible. Only the knowledge that we saved untold billions if not trillions is enough for me to remain sane. But something's wrong with Meetra. I - I can't sense her."

Talvon frowned and reached out. To his horror, he found that Xaset was right. It wasn't only as if she was a being who was not sensitive to the force. It was as if Meetra Surik had been wrenched completely from natural life itself and yet, there she lay - still breathing on her own and comatose. Xaset looked as though he were on the verge of panic. "Talvon, what's wrong with her?"

But the older Jedi Knight could only shake his head. "I don't know, Xaset. I truly don't."

They remained silent as they sat there for hours, not knowing what time was passing or the events around them. It wasn't until Revan and Malak strode in. The Master hurried over and knelt down, removing his mask. "How is she, Talvon?"

Talvon sighed tiredly and rubbed his soar temples. "She's alive but comatose. We don't know what happened, Master, but the mass shadow generator-" but he couldn't speak of it.

The event and the mere thought of it caused his gorge to rise. Swallowing hard, he managed to croak out, "It effected her worse than any other Jedi. I don't know what happened or how but whatever pain it caused us, it was amplified in her."

Revan was silent for several long moments before he whispered hoarsely, "I did not expect this. I had no idea that the death would cause this to any of us. It nearly cost Malak and I our lives aboard Mandalore's flagship."

"What of Mandalore, Master? What has happened and what is happening?"

For some time, Revan was silent. With a sigh, he stood and turned to Xaset. "Stay with her, my young friend. Talvon, you must come with Malak and I. There is something we need to discuss. I fear that this war was but a probe against the Republic and a blitz assault to weaken it."

Talvon followed silently. "Master, when you reached out to her, did you-"

"No, I didn't sense her either. I fear that, in order to shield herself, Meetra cut herself completely off from the force."

Talvon was stunned to silence. "But - but it isn't permanent, is it? She can reestablish her connection to the force when she wakes, can't she?"

Revan nodded very slowly. "Yes, I think so. She will need to relearn many of her skills. Now come; we can discuss this later. At the moment, there is something very important we must discuss."

They entered a large conference room. Only a few Jedi were actually present. Others attended via holo communications. When they were all silent, Revan announced, "We have won, Revanchist Crusaders. The Mandalorians are defeated. I myself have taken the mask of Mandalore and our forces are, even as we speak here, disarming the Mandalorians. But I am afraid that our work is only temporarily finished, my Jedi. The Mandalorians were only a probe and an attack to weaken the Republic for the real offensive against us. We know that the main body of the Jedi Order will not act in the defense of the people of the Republic. I'm afraid it is still up to us. Therefore, Malak and I will be leaving for the Unknown Regions very soon, searching out this true threat - the threat of the Sith Empire."

There were a great many gasps and hisses after that. "A Dark Lord of the Sith engaged Mandalore and goaded him to make the attacks on the Republic. Now that the Mandalorians are humbled, we must turn our focus to the Sith. As I said, Malak and I will be leaving but first, I will have instructions for each of you. They will be given to you in privacy."

For a long moment he was silent before he removed his mask again. Revan's dark eyes and dark hair were framed by the hood if his black robe. "Any who wish to return to the Jedi Order, I will not hold it against you. You must do what you feel is right as I have. No one will judge you or hate you. Many of our soldiers will be returning home soon to be discharged after their noble service. You may go with them. In ten days time, by galactic standard time, we will see where we stand and those who wish to stay, we will go to a more wholesome place int he galaxy and, from there, will lay our plans for the Republic's defense."

* * *

Ten days later, the fleet had only shrunk marginally and the majority of the Jedi were still there. The fleet jumped to a location in the deep core over a world known as Lehon. It did not exist in the records of either the Jedi or the Republic. The planet itself was of little consequence. The primary reason they had gone there was because of the massive space station that was very close to the system's sun. Revan explained that it was an ancient relic known as the Star Forge. It was build by an ancient species called the Rakata. When he had found it, it had been abandoned and shut down, simply floating in the near orbit of the sun. He had found a way to activate it but had not done so yet, instead simply electing to use it as a hidden base of operations. From there, Revan gave a short farewell speech. "We will return and, if the force wills it, we will not need to prepare for an attack from the Sith. However, it is more likely that we will need to activate this facility and contact the Republic, informing them of the situation and begging the Jedi to take action, futile as that may be. In the mean time, you have your orders and instructions. May the force be with you all."

"And may the force be with you, Masters;" replied Talvon, loudly enough for all to hear and murmur in agreement.

His instruction had been to build an academy and that is what he would do. He already had a planet selected for construction and had over a dozen force sensitive youths and young adults waiting for him. Before any of that could be done, however, there was one thing to take care of.

Very shortly after Revan and Malak departed for regions unknown, Meetra Surik woke.

* * *

Talvon lifted a hand and knocked on the door to her quarters. "Come in;" came the quiet call.

He entered and smiled at his young friend. Meetra was packing. "I guess Xaset couldn't convince you to stay, then."

Meetra shook her head with a sad smile of her own. "I'm of no use to Revan now. All I have is my lightsaber. We have all been summoned to answer for what happened at Malachor V and perhaps at least one of us should go."

They were both silent for several long moments. "Xaset will be taking me back. I'm not sure if he told you."

Talvon smiled and walked around the bed to hug her. "He did, Meetra. Whatever the force has in store for you, I hope that it stays with you and watches over you. Take care of yourself."

Meetra buried her face in his chest and she was shivering. All the facades of confidence and calm dropped. "Talvon, I'm scared. I've never been without the force. It's as if I'm blind. It's as if I could once hear, see, feel, taste and smell and now, I am completely without senses. I feel exposed and weak. I don't know what to do."

"Revan said that he could help you get your connection back. Perhaps I could too. You always seemed to respond to my instructions positively."

Meetra didn't respond; she simply clung to the man who had become as an older brother to her and as a teacher and a dear friend. Finally, she stepped back, took a deep breath and wiped her face and her eyes. "Even if I was still a Jedi, I couldn't stay. After everything that happened, after Malachor-" and she shook her head, fresh tears rising to her eyes. "I just couldn't serve anymore. I've lost faith in the Revanchist Crusaders and their mission."

Talvon nodded. Even though he firmly disagreed with her, the extent to which she had suffered was reason enough for him to let her go without objecting too strenuously. "Goodbye, my friend and may the force be with you."

Meetra smiled and bowed. "And with you, Master Jedi."

 **Updated 10/16/2018**


	6. Chapter 5: The Exile of Malachor

Xaset waited at an apartment on Coruscant for Meetra to return from her hearing by the Jedi Council. She had only been gone for an hour when she returned. She looked tired and resigned. Her lightsaber no longer hung from her belt. For a long moment, they just considered one another. Finally, Xaset murmured, "They took your lightsaber and exiled you."

It wasn't a question. It was an observation. Meetra nodded and sat down in a chair, looking exhausted. "Yes. They say it was because I followed Revan to the war."

"You don't believe them?"

She shifted in the chair and said, "Yes I do."

They were silent again. With a sigh, Xaset sat down on the couch - the only other piece of furniture in the room. Before he could ask her his question, Meetra answered it. In the small voice of a young woman, barely more than a teenage girl, she said, "I don't know what I can do now, Xaset. All I've ever known is the life of a Jedi and now..." and she trailed off.

She sounded so frightened and fragile. Xaset stood and hurried over, crouching in front of her and taking her hands. "Let me help you regain your power, Meetra. I know that it can't be gone for good."

Meetra remained silent and Xaset pleaded. "Please, Meetra I-" and he fell silent, just gazing at her. When she remained silent, he tried one last plea. "Forget Revan and Malak! Forget the Jedi and the Republic. Let's go, just you and me and we can start a new life."

Meetra smiled sadly. "I can't let you do that, Xaset. I know you believe that Revan has and is doing the right thing for the people of the galaxy. You need to fight. They _need_ you. I'm no good to them anymore and even if I was, I doubt that I would fight with Revan and Malak again. Go on and do what you think is best."

Xaset looked pleadingly at her. Slowly, she stood and lifted him to his feet. "Help me pack and then we'll see what I can do."

Silently, he complied. Meetra packed her bag and they left the apartment side by side. They took a air taxi to the public transportation. Freighters and star liners were landing and taking off and they stood looking at the listings. "That one;" she murmured, pointing to one. It was departing for a military recruitment and trading post. "I'll go and become a mechanic. I was always pretty good with my hands when it came to mechanical matters. That way, I can still serve the Republic in my own way."

Xaset looked pleadingly at her one last time. "Meetra, I - I love you. Please let me come with you. Let me help you reconnect with the force."

With a sigh, Meetra folded herself into his arms and murmured, "I really liked you, Xaset. You were always so supportive and sweet and protective, even though it sometimes drove me absolutely crazy."

"Well you always could take care of yourself. I just thought that you shouldn't have to alone;" he replied before kissing the top of her head.

Meetra chuckled and they both fell silent. Finally, Meetra pushed away and said, "You and I, Xaset, we wouldn't... we could never have... even had I stayed I'm afraid..." and she shook her head, blushing fiercely.

Xaset took pity on her. "I know what you mean. I don't agree and I still want to try but if you aren't willing to-"

"Xaset, it's not that you aren't good enough. You are a noble young man and a powerful Jedi. I'm not willing to drag you into exile with me. As I said, they need you. Now go. Return to Revan's fleet or to Talvon's new academy."

Finally, Xaset excepted her words. With one more hug and a kiss on her forehead, he stepped back. "May the force be with you, Meetra Surik."

She smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that's impossible now. Regardless, may it be with you, Xaset - always."

Then, she adjusted the shoulder straps of her pack and headed towards the military transport. Xaset watched her go before turning back to the taxi pads. It was time to return to Talvon and his academy on the Outer Rim planet. The records had little information about it. It was called Honoghr and it's indigenous species were a short, sentient, bipedal creatures called the Noghri. The environment was a lush jungle and there were plenty of materials to build with.

* * *

 **The Outer Rim world of Honohgr**

Talvon looked over the fortress academy's blue prints again before turning and facing the structure. It was already forming well and it would be a glorious structure when he was done with it. Until it was completed, the acolytes lived in prefab shelters and trained in the open. "This fortress academy will be worthy of Revan when he returns. When it is finished, I want it to rival the Enclave of Dantooine;" he murmured to himself.

The Republic military engineers were doing a spectacular job at it. Suddenly, his comlink went off. "Master Esan, more of the Noghri have returned. They want to know what it is that we're doing."

Talvon sighed. "Get the interpreter droid. I'll try to explain it again."

With a pair of elite commandos on either flank, Talvon strode to where five of the diminutive creatures were waiting. Three wore simple gray tunics and two wore brown robes. In a growling language, one of them spoke. The droid turned to Talvon. "It would appear that we are perilously close to a holy burial ground, Master Talvon. She wishes to make sure that we did not disturb the dead."

Talvon stroked his chin before saying, "Tell the Matriarch that we have no intention of disturbing the dead. I figured that that place was a burial ground of some kind and intentionally gave us plenty of space to make sure that we left it be."

The droid replied and the matriarch nodded in satisfaction before asking another question. "She also asks what it is that we intend to do here."

"Tell her that we wish only to take a small plot of land to train warriors to protect this and other planets from a dark and evil threat."

The droid answered for him and that seemed to deepen the matriarch's interest. After another interaction, the droid said, "This land is not used by any of the Noghri clans for anything. So long as the others agree, she has no qualms with you building here. She is also curious as to the way that you are training your warriors."

Talvon smiled and looked at his guards. "Have someone bring seats for all of us and I shall try to explain."

It was a long conversation with many questions being asked and answered. By the time the day had ended and the Noghri had retreated, Talvon was tired, hot and hungry. "We may have just gained an ally here;" he said to two of he fellow Jedi masters.

"But Talvon, what can those little creatures do for us?"

"We won't know until the time comes. All that matters now is finishing the academy and sending out Jedi to find possible candidates. We won't take the infants - that's what the complacent Jedi Order does and they are welcome to them. I want youths who can make choices for themselves."

The Jedi masters nodded and went to where some of the students were training with remotes. Talvon himself returned to the work table and looked over all the blueprints again. Tapping on a holo projector, a holographic blueprint hummed to life. "I want an extra power source here as well. Extending from this hall, let's add..." and he continued to outline and improve upon the plans. His mission was to train Jedi and he would do so from a fortress that would hold against anything from a ground assault to a fleet.

* * *

Xaset landed not far from the construction project. He was met by dozens of his fellow Jedi and Republic soldiers. Through the crowd strode Talvon Esan, Master of the academy to be. He didn't bother to ask where Meetra was, electing instead to state. "Welcome home, Xaset. Come and look upon our work."

Xaset was awed by the progress that had been made and all the alterations and improvements that had been added. "You're a genius, Master. This temple will be both academy and fortress against the Sith threat. Now, what can I do to help?"

Talvon smiled, pleased at the question. "You will help me teach our new Jedi when they arrive. The Star Forge is being turned into a military training facility for soldiers and the like. We will have an army and fleet large enough to fight any enemy as soon as the Master returns."

Xaset nodded grimly. "Excellent Master."

* * *

It was two years before the Master returned and when he did, it was in a manner that none of them expected. Revan and Malak were both very, very different. Malak had a strange apparatus on his lower jaw and Revan was in strange armored robes. As he stepped off the ship, every Jedi and soldier bowed. Revan surveyed the crowed before calling, amplifying his voice. "Talvon Esan, come forth."

Talvon strode forward and bowed again. "Master Revan, you have returned at last."

"I have, Master Esan. Gather the masters and take me to the academy's council chamber. There has been a change of plans."

 **Updated 10/16/2018**


	7. Final

It was a plan that was developed over a year's time. There were so many subtle kinks and problems that had to be resolved for it to work. When all was said and done, Darth Revan and Darth Malak stood before the Dark Jedi and the newly armored and christened Sith troopers that had been selected. Though his expression was unreadable through the mask, his voice showed pride, confidence and urgency that assured the massed disciples that what was going to occur was absolutely necessary. More than necessary, it was vital. "You have been chosen for a specific purpose;" said the Dark Lord, his voice amplified by the force. "That purpose is likely going to be our greatest assistance in the future. Beyond the Outer Rim lies the Sith Empire - a Sith Empire that has existed in secret since the Great Hyperspace wars of a thousand years ago. While the Republic has been struggling against powerful enemies, the Sith Empire has been growing stronger and building its power without opposition. Our only hope is to become them - fierce, powerful, merciless and deadly. To that end, you, my best Dark Jedi and most elite troops will be placed in perfect carbonite hibernation to be awakened when you are most needed, whether it be a year, a decade or a century. Prepare what you need for us to travel. There is a little known planet on the very edge of Wild Space. It is there you will be entombed in hibernation."

When all was said and done, Talvon gathered his belongings and prepared to board the Centurion-Class cruiser that would take them to their final destination. Beside him was Xaset, who was lost in thought as he often was these days, thinking about his lost lover Meetra Surik, the Exile of Malachor V. Talvon smiled and nudged him. "Control to Xaset, do you read me?"

The younger man snapped out of it and he chuckled dryly. "Yeah, I read you, Talvon. Going into this hibernation - I dunno. It's just making me think of Meetra. Sometimes I just want to leave and go find her wherever she is. Try to convince her to come back or to stay with her."

The older Dark Jedi Master gave a low chuckle. "She would not come with you. We have taken a plunge that she, even when her faith in Revan was at its height, would never have taken. No, she was still too attached to the ideals of the Jedi."

"Then perhaps losing her connection to the force saved her;" mused Xaset. "She will not be fighting against us while the Master begins his conquest of the galaxy."

"Not conquest, Xaset," corrected Talvon. "Securing. He is securing the galaxy, eliminating any key political figures and the Jedi who would oppose us. They refuse to understand and they are a dangerous liability. We cannot fight this true Sith Empire if the Republic is resisting us and impeding the war effort."

Xaset nodded in agreement but he still looked wistful. Turning to him, Talvon took him by a shoulder. "Xaset, she is doing whatever she thinks is right for her to do in her life and for the galaxy and so are you. It was the will of the force that you and her were separated. Think on this, do you think Revan would have sealed the two of you away? I don't think so. You and I would have been frozen in perfect hibernation and she would have gone on to help Revan lead his Sith forces. That would have been even more painful for both of you, don't you think?"

Xaset nodded slowly and they both turned to the ship. Ahead of them, the finest and most elite Sith Troopers of Darth Revan's Sith Empire were marching rank and file into the ship where their commanders were assigning them quarters. Tens of thousands of war droids were also being locked away, the most advanced models freshly produced in the Star Forge's internal factories. That station was a technological marvel and it was millennia old. All one had to do was to put in the necessary schematics and the droid, weapon, armor, stubfighter, capital ship or what have you would be quickly and efficiently created and assembled. It was fully automated as well and powered by the system's sun. Beneath it was a planet that had formerly not been on any star charts. What it's name was seemed to be a mystery but, after an ancient conquering civilization, Revan had taken to calling it Rakata Prime. On Rakata Prime was a massive energy shield emitter that would protect the Star Forge from the largest fleet assault. On the planet below were rancors and the remnant of the ancient Rakata, warriors who were deadly and guarded the temple which housed the energy shield emitter.

The Star Forge, more than the Academy of Korriban or Malachor, was the foundation and backbone of the entire cause.

* * *

The planet was the soul world in the system and had no moons orbiting it. An advanced battalion of combat engineers had been sent ahead to cut into the mountains, opening up a massive cavern into the side of the mountain range. Blast doors would be set there as well as a door triggered controlled by a special Sith Holocron that Darth Revan himself was constructing. Even after they arrived, it was still several long months before the carbon freezing machines, created by the best in the business and utterly perfected by Darth Revan himself, were in place. Every trooper and Dark Jedi stood on pedestals that would lower into the carbon freezers. A pair of Zabraks and a Sullustan stood at the controls. Talvon, Xaset and the Dark Jedi Masters watched as the troopers and Dark Jedi were lowered into the machines. The chamber echoed with hisses, clangs and whirs as they rose again and tens of thousands of rectangular blocks or carbonite stood, safely holding the occupants.

Talvon turned to Darth Revan. "It seems that you were successful, my lord. Do you have any orders for us?"

The Dark Lord placed a hand on his old friend's shoulder. "Whoever awakens you will hold the holocron. When you wake, find me or my heir and they will direct you."

There was a long pause before Talvon had the courage to ask one final question. "And my Lord, what happens if there are no descendants or heirs or there are none of your Empire left?"

A long silence filled the still air. Talvon knew that Revan would not take offense. He was a man who considered every option carefully. "If that is the case, Talvon Esan," said the Dark Lord, "then you will be the heir of Darth Revan. You will rise as the Dark Lord of the Sith and my Empire will become yours. However, I do not expect that to happen. I suspect we will need you much sooner than that."

Talvon nodded and he and his fellow Dark Jedi Masters stepped up to their pedestals. With a loud hiss, the pedestals lowered. Talvon felt the liquid closing around him and his closed his eyes, taking one final breath before everything ceased around him.

* * *

 **Epilogue**

Darth Diabolis watched as the New Republic fleet dropped into the system and he smiled grimly. "Begin battle meditation. Even if Leia Organa Solo has help from a few fellow Jedi, she will not be able to keep up with ours. Launch fighters and attack. We will crush this fleet and fade back into the stars, corrupting and conquering one planet, system and sector at a time. Once the Jedi are dead, we will slowly strangle the New Republic."

The New Republic fleet launched its fighters and advanced on them at full speed. Diabolis could sense the enemy Jedi and his smile became savage. They would die. They would all die. He would not give them a chance to fall to the dark side. Every one of them, especially the Skywalkers, would be one with the force before the end of the next rotation.

 **Updated 10/16/2018**


End file.
